Conversion of vegetable oils to base oils and transportation fuels
AssigneeChevron U.S.A. Inc.
InventorStephen J. Miller
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to methods (processes) and systems for processing triglyceride-containing, biologically-derived oils to provide for base oils and transportation fuels, wherein partial oligomerization of fatty acids contained therein provide for an oligomerized mixture from which the base oils and transportation fuels can be extracted. Such methods and systems can involve an initial hydrotreating step or a direct isomerization of the oligomerized mixture.
Claims12
A method for co-producing base oil and diesel fuel from a vegetable oil, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) processing a triglyceride-containing vegetable oil to effect oligomerization and deoxygenation of unsaturated fatty acid components contained therein so as to provide for an oligomerized mixture comprising oligomers, wherein said processing comprises the following sub-steps:
- i) catalytically oligomerizing at least some of the unsaturated fatty acid components to provide for an initially oligomerized mixture comprising at least some of the oligomers contained within the oligomerized mixture;
- ii) hydrotreating the initially oligomerized mixture to provide for a hydrotreated oligomerized mixture;
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- iii) removing water from the hydrotreated oligomerized mixture to yield the oligomerized mixture;
- b) isomerizing the oligomerized mixture over an isomerization catalyst to yield an isomerized mixture, wherein the isomerized mixture comprises a base oil component and a diesel fuel component, and wherein the isomerized mixture comprises at least 10 wt. % alkanes having a carbon number of 30 or greater;
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- c) distilling the isomerized mixture to yield a base oil and a diesel fuel.
A system for co-producing base oil and diesel fuel from a vegetable oil, the system comprising:
- a) a processing subsystem for processing a triglyceride-containing vegetable oil so as to effect oligomerization and deoxygenation of unsaturated fatty acid components contained therein, thereby providing for an oligomerized mixture, wherein said processing subsystem comprises the following components:
- i) an oligomerization reactor configured to catalytically oligomerize at least some of the unsaturated fatty acid components contained within the triglyceride-containing vegetable oil, so as to provide for an initially oligomerized mixture;
- ii) a hydrotreating reactor, in downstream fluid communication with the oligomerization reactor, configured to hydrotreat the initially oligomerized mixture so as to provide for a hydrotreated oligomerized mixture;
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- iii) a water removal subunit, in downstream fluid communication with the hydrotreating reactor, configured to remove water from the hydrotreated oligomerized mixture to yield the oligomerized mixture;
- b) an isomerization unit, in fluid communication with the processing subsystem, configured to isomerize the oligomerized mixture over an isomerization catalyst to yield an isomerized mixture, wherein the isomerized mixture comprises a base oil component and a diesel fuel component, and wherein the isomerized mixture comprises at least 10 wt. % alkanes having a carbon number of 30 or greater;
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- c) a distillation unit, in fluid communication with the isomerization unit, configured to distill the isomerized mixture so as to yield a base oil and a diesel fuel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.